This shuttle-borne
SIR-A radar image of a spiral eddy illustrates that eddy patterns can
be imaged by sensors other than the film camera. Both the shear wall
and the spiral eddy are clearly visible, emphasized by a dark, surface
oil slick. This cyclonic eddy was observed over the Atlantic Ocean
about 40 kilometers north of the Dominican Republic in November 1981.
The image is a radar representation of sea surface roughness at a scale
of several centimeters. The smoother areas reflect less of the incident
radar beam back to the sensor.